A new trilogy of "Star Wars" movies is on the way, starting with "Episode 7" targeted for release in 2015.

Fans haven't seen Jedi Knights facing off with The Dark Side on the big screen in a decade, but Disney bought Lucasfilm from filmmaker George Lucas for $4.05 billion. In announcing the deal Tuesday, Disney also promised three new live-action "Star Wars" movies with Lucas working as a creative consultant only.

"The last 'Star Wars' movie release was 2005's 'Revenge of the Sith' — and we believe there's substantial pent-up demand," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

Fans took to Twitter, worrying about what the new movies would be like after Lucas was criticized for "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" in 1999, featuring the oft-mocked character Jar Jar Binks. Others cracked jokes about Princess Leia becoming an official Disney princess and imagined Pixar characters appearing in the new trilogy, such as Buzz Lightyear and Wall-E.

"The film is in what I'll call early-stage development right now," Iger said on a conference call with analysts, according to WPTV.

Lucas says on YouTube that he has story treatments for Episodes 7, 8 and 9 but little is known about what the plot will include, which characters will be in it, and how much longer after "The Return of the Jedi" it takes place. Iger added that Lucas won't have much to do with the production of the new movies as "his intent [is] to retire."

"It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers," Lucas said in a statement.

Liam Neeson, right, as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Ewan McGregor, as Obi-Wan Kenobi, during a scene from "Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace." The film opened May 19, 1999. AP Photo/Lucasfilm Ltd., Keith Hamshere

A Lucasfilm source, however, tells E! News that "Star Wars: Episode 7" will be "an original story." In other words, anything fans have read about or seen in books and graphic novels may have nothing to do with where the new trilogy picks up Luke Skywalker -- or if his character appears at all.

Mark Hamill, who played the iconic Jedi in the first three "Star Wars" movies, told fans on Twitter: "Congratulations to George for today's mega-deal! Can't comment on Ep 7 before I have all the facts which are short supply right now-Patience."

Carrie Fisher gave no hints that she would play Luke's sister Leia again, but joked on Facebook that her dog could play a new Yoda if necessary.

Either way, past actors Peter Mayhew (who played Chewbacca), Ahmed Best (the voice of Jar Jar Binks), and Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones") told TMZ they have full confidence in Disney.

But who will direct the new "Star Wars" movies?

Disney is looking for who will be the new George, though Lucas only directed four of the films (and, in the '70s, "American Graffiti" and "THX1138").

Two names that immediately come to mind include "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams, though Trekkers might not like the idea of him also doing "Star Wars," and Joss Whedon, who's already involved with Disney as the director for Marvel's "The Avengers" and the upcoming "Avengers" sequel. MTV notes, however, that with such big franchises already in their hands, Abrams and Whedon may be too busy to do Episode 7 by 2015.

And the possibilities don't stop there: Iger notes that the "Star Wars" franchise has an estimated 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets over the course of 20,000 years, and Lucas hints that there could be more even movies and/or TV shows on the horizon after the new trilogy.

"We have a large group of ideas and characters and books and all kinds of things," Lucas said. "We could go on making 'Star Wars' for the next 100 years."